Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-04-03
THE RICHMOND DISPATC H-.sUNDAY. APRIL 8, 1887

Of The Pillar Of Life. Moore expresses
the same idea in verse
You Who aspire u ds1ssr s. and pa ps'n h.
Tobe purified there AI spIss.
By the terriers Of Fire, On: for again !. -,
Of Water and Air. iA' risss A' -
Rise into light
Win The Secret Divine.
We must all admire the skill with
which Mr.. Hageard has elaborated this.
Again, the whole OF chapter vi. OF
"The Epicurean recalls wildly Mr..
Haggard's description Of the discovery
Of Ayeshs by Holly at the shrine OF
Kallikmtes ('a soul in hell"). Suffice
tito quote one or two sentences from
Moore:
ARRIVED at the end OF the gallery, a
scene presented itself to my eyes for
which my fondest expectations OF adj
venture could not have prepared me.
The place from which the light pro-
ceeded was small chapel, Of whose in
terror, from the dark recess in which l
stood, could take, unseen myself, n
full and distinct view. > In the
middle of the chapel, on a low altar OF
granite, lay lifeless female form, en-
shrined within case OF crystal-as it
is the custom to preserve the dead in
Hthiopia-and looking as freshly beau
tiful as il the soul had but few hours
departed. The lamp, by which
the whole Of the chapel was Illuminated,
was placed at the head of the pale
image in the shrine and between its
light and me stood a female form bend
ing over the monument as if to gaze
npon the silent features within. =
Gently, as il life itself depended on my
every movement, stole away from that
tranquil and holy scene, and gliding
back through the same passages and
windings by which / had entered,
reached again the narrow stairway, and
reascended into the light" &c.
Leaving incidents, we are now able
even 10 trace the resemblance between
Mr.. Haggard's romance and Moore's
tale by means of phrases and words.
The following, roughly chosen from
"The Epicurean, will at once suggest
parallel passages in "She y: f
"Casting away my now useless lamp,
and holding my robe as some slight pro-
lection over my head, ! ventured, with
trembling limbs, into the blaze. In
stantly, as If my presence had giyer
new life to the flames, a fresh outburst
Of combustion arose on all sides.
As / drew nearer the flame,
before me burst high and wide OF
all sides, and the awful spectacle
that then presented itself was sucf
as might have daunted hearts fsl
more accustomed to danger thar
mine. = Ayesha entering tn,
flames l was left swinging by my
hands in the dark void. Gap. vii.
Holly clinging to the spur.] A sue
cession of blue, vivid flashes pierced
like lances of light, through thu
| gloom during which The
sanctuary seemed to rock to its base
| (Cap. x.) I'm the cavern beneath thu
rolling stone.] The silent interview
which witnessed between the dead ant
the living" Gap. XII [Ayesha anC
| the dead Killikrates. ...
From this mass of evidence it il
plain either that "The Epicurean
was the fount OF Mr.. Haggard's inspi
ration, and that he has only diverte'
the stream of thought into new chan
nels, or else that most remarkable co
incidence has taken place, whicl
should afford food for reflection
to writers and critics alike. No
only does resemblance exist between
the ideas of the two celebrated authors
butt extends to incidents, scenes, refe
rences, and words. Moore's conclusion
is, however, commonplace Mr.. Hag
| CARDS dtRdhs'lem is so good that tn
pnblie hayealready forgiven him mucl
and may even forgive him more-o
should we not say Moore?